Unseen Passages

Read the unseen poem extract below:

"The silent sea wept tears of greyish mist,
And kissed the shore with cold, reluctant lips;
While twilight held the world in shadowed fist,
And swallowed whole the silhouettes of ships."

What dominant literary device is employed in the line "The silent sea wept tears of greyish mist"?

Read the passage below carefully:

Captain Hallowell stood rigidly on the quarterdeck, gazing out at the churning waters of the Bight of Benin. He felt an intense pang of anxiety for his crew's safety, knowing that the approaching storm could easily tear their wooden hull apart. Meanwhile, down in the cramped hold, young Kofi huddled against the damp barrels, his heart pounding with terror as he wondered whether they would ever see land again.

Which narrative point of view is employed in the passage above?

Read the unseen prose excerpt below carefully:

"The old tin roof of the community dispensary in Ohafia rattled under the relentless mid-day heat. Inside, Nurse Amara carefully recorded the day’s meager supply of bandages and antibiotics in her ledger, her fingers trace-lining each entry with meticulous care. Outside, the young village youths lounged under the neem tree, their transistor radios blaring modern Afrobeats while discussing grand ambitions of leaving for Lagos or foreign lands. Amara looked at the fading poster on the wall—a relic from the town’s first community-built clinic fifty years ago. She sighed softly, realizing that while the aspirations of the young had shifted outward, the quiet, persistent duty of holding the community together remained anchored in the selfless patience of those who chose to stay."

Which of the following best expresses the central theme of the excerpt?

Read the unseen passage below:

"The heavy brass knocker sounded twice against the mahogany door, but inside, Auntie Mabel did not flinch. She adjusted her wire-rimmed spectacles and continued knitting, indifferent to the urgent commotion outside. She had already decided that whatever news the messenger brought, it could wait until morning."

True or False: The passage employs a third-person point of view that gives the reader direct access to Auntie Mabel's internal thoughts and decision-making process.

Read the unseen passage below:

The old village head, Pa Demola, adjusted his spectacles and looked at the dusty ledger spread across the table. For thirty years, he had recorded the births, harvests, and disputes of the village with meticulous care, expecting no monument, no applause, and certainly no gratitude from the young men now clamoring for his removal. He dipped his feather pen in blue ink, his hand steady despite the angry shouts echoing outside the town hall. "Let them chant," he murmured with a faint, weary smile. "The rain does not stop because the dry leaves rustle."

What is the character's tone toward the protesters outside?

Match each of the following lines excerpted from an unseen poem to the figure of speech that accurately identifies its dominant literary device.

Read the unseen dramatic extract below carefully, then match each excerpted line or stage direction to the dramatic device or dialogue element it exemplifies:

MORENIKE: (Whispering hurriedly while pointing to the closed doorway)
He comes! Hide the chest before his greedy eyes devour our secrets.

ADE: (Turning away towards the audience)
If only she knew the chest was already emptied by my own hands...

MORENIKE: Why do you hesitate? Is fear holding your feet to the floor?

ADE: Fear? No. It is conscience that weighs upon me!

Read the unseen passage below carefully:

"The elderly weaver sat by his wooden loom, his fingers moving with practiced precision despite the tremor in his hands. I watched from the doorway, mesmerized by the rhythmic clatter of the shuttle. He did not notice my presence, fully absorbed in weaving the indigo threads into a tapestry of ancient proverbs."

Which of the following best identifies the narrative point of view adopted in the passage?

TAMUNO: You speak of peace while sharpening the blade?
ENIOLA: The hunter cleans his iron, not for blood, but rust.
TAMUNO: Yet blood is what the polished edge demands.
ENIOLA: Only when beasts invade the quiet fold.
TAMUNO: And who defines the beast within these walls?

In the excerpt above, the rapid, alternating line-for-line dialogue between Tamuno and Eniola demonstrates which dramatic device?

Read the prose extract below carefully:

"Despite years of fierce political rivalry, the senator maintained a plastic stance throughout the constitutional negotiations, readily reshaping his positions to suit the shifting alliances of the assembly. Critics condemned this flexibility as opportunism, while supporters praised his pragmatic adaptability."

In the passage above, what is the contextual meaning of the word plastic?

Read the prose excerpt below:

"For thirty years, Pa Nkemba had mended his palm-frond nets at dawn, listening to the gentle cadence of the river whispering ancient stories to the mangrove roots. Today, however, the thundering engines of colossal iron trawlers drowned out the water's voice, leaving behind oil slicks that choked the mudskippers and blackened the shoreline. The young men of the village no longer learned the delicate art of woven traps; instead, they lined up along the asphalt highway seeking day-labor at the crude processing plant. As Nkemba watched his empty wooden canoe rock against the concrete jetty, he recognized that the water was not merely polluted—the very soul of their ancestral river economy was being quietly extinguished."

Which of the following best expresses the central theme of the passage?

Read the unseen dramatic extract below:

CHIEF KALE: (Holding an ornate wooden box, smiling broadly to the villagers)
Rest easy, good people of Omo! This chest contains the sacred charter of our ancestors, guaranteeing our land shall never be sold!

ALERO: (Stepping backward, whispering)
He knows not that the termites destroyed the parchment last night, and the chest holds only dust.

CHIEF KALE:
Let our children dance, for our inheritance is forever secure!

Which dramatic device is primarily illustrated in the extract above?

Read the passage below carefully:

"The village carver set down his chisel beside the half-finished stool, leaving the intricate floral patterns on the leg incomplete. He did not sweep away the fresh mahogany shavings around his workshop table, nor did he oil his steel blades as was his custom. Instead, he wrapped the uncarved block of ebony in dark velvet, locked his workshop door from the outside, and walked briskly toward the chief's compound."

Based on the passage, what can be deduced about the carver's situation?

Consider the excerpt from an unseen poem below:

"Upon the podium stood the ruler, grand and cold,
Who spoke in adamantine tones of law and might;
No tear could bend the iron resolve he held,
Nor mercy turn his shadows into light."

What does the word adamantine contextually convey as used in the excerpt?

Read the unseen dramatic extract below carefully:

BIOLA: (Glancing nervously at the locked door, whispering)
If he learns we have the ledger, all is lost!

ADEBO: (Aloud, with deliberate calmness to the guard outside)
We are merely arranging the ledgers for tomorrow's audit, brother!

BIOLA: You dance on the razor's edge while the house burns.

ADEBO: Better to dance than to tremble in the dark.

Based on the extract above, match each dialogue line or stage direction on the left with the dramatic device or element it illustrates on the right.

Read the unseen excerpt below:

The old cathedral looms against the sky,
Its towering spires carved in ancient stone,
Where weary travelers wander all alone,
Beneath the watchful moon that burns on high.
Soft autumn leaves descend upon the street,
And chill winds whisper through the courtyard door,
While shadows linger by the iron floor,
To guide the silent steps of passing feet.

What is the predominant rhyme scheme of the eight-line passage above?

Read the unseen dramatic extract below carefully and complete the sentence with the correct literary term.

Read the unseen dramatic extract below carefully:

YETUNDE: (Clutching the worn velvet pouch to her chest, speaking under her breath while turned away from KUNLE)
If he discovers the royal seal inside this lining, my brother's rebellion dies before dawn.

KUNLE: What do you mutter to the shadows, sister? Speak clearly!

YETUNDE: I speak of patience, Kunle.
KUNLE: Patience is the weapon of the weak!
YETUNDE: And rashness is the crown of fools!

KUNLE: (Pacing furiously towards the doorway)
The palace guards approach the village square even now. I shall confront the commander myself and demand our father's release!

Match each excerpted text or stage direction on the left with the corresponding dramatic element or device on the right.

Read the unseen dramatic extract below carefully:

EBI: (Examining the overturned wooden crate) The iron hinges were snapped from the outside, yet the brass padlock remains completely locked.
KALE: And the night guard swears he slept with the key strung around his neck all night.
EBI: Then whoever opened this chest did not use a key; they forced it open with heavy tools.

Based on the extract above, it can be deduced that the intruder gained access to the crate by secretly stealing the night guard's key.

Read the unseen passage below carefully:

"I leaned against the cold mud wall, listening to the night. Outside, the wind whispered ancient secrets through the palm fronds. The village was a sleeping giant, peaceful yet uneasy. As heavy silence roared in my ears, I wondered if dawn would ever return."

Match each extract from the passage on the left with its corresponding narrative point of view or stylistic technique on the right.